Switch-lock



P. P. HILBURN.

SWITCH LOCK.

(N0 Model.)

No. 499,459. I Patented June 13, 1893.

m m. V 11W.

- ATTORNEY.

I WITNESSES.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK P. HILBURN, OF ANNAPOLIS, MISSOURI.

swlrcH-LooK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,459, dated June 13,1893. Application filed March 8. 1893- Serial No, 465,115. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK P. HILBURN, of Annapolis, in the county ofIron and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Switch-Locks; and I. do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it'appertains tomake and usethe same, reference being bad to the accompany ing drawings,and to the letters of reference.

marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in switch locks. Theobject of the invention is to provide an lmproved switch lock,exceedingly cheap, simple, and durable in construction and composed of aminimum number of parts and whereby the padlock and chain generally usedcan be entirely dispensed with and all of the operative and lockingparts of the device can beentirely inclosed, and thereby protectedagainst breakage and the destructive influences of the elements.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and incombinations of parts more fully described hereinafter and particularlypointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation showingthe switch stand and switch operating mechanism, my invention beingshown applied. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of my invention appliedto the operating shaft of the switch, showing portions of the stand, andthe handle controlling the switch shaft.

In the drawings the reference letter a, indicates any suitable base orsupport.

12 indicates the switch stand in which the vertical rock shaft d, isjournaled. This shaft has a crank or other means at its lower endconnected with the switch barf, so that said bar is reciprocated byrocking said shaft. This shaft has a suitable signal or semaphore g atits upper end.

It, indicates a hollow block or arm rigidly secured to said switch shaftand extending laterally therefiom at the top of and beyond the switchstand.

which is pivoted at its upper end at j, within said block so that saidhandle can be swung up to a horizontal position to form a continuationof said block to permit turning of the switch shaft, or, so that saidhandle can drop to a vertical position as shown in Fig. 2 into a notchm, in the upper edge of the switch stand. When in this position theblock and shaft are locked against swinging movement by means of saidhandle resting in the notch.

Now it is the object of, this invention to provide improved means forlocking this handle in this position so that the switch cannot be thrownin any direction. To this end the upper end of the switch operatinghandle or lever is preferably provided with a shoulder or stop n, andthe outer edge of the lever extending outwardly from said shoulder orstop is curved or rounded, see 0, in the form of a segment. However thisis not absolutely necessary, as the only necessary thing is to providethe upper end of the operating handle with some kind of a projection,shoulder or stop for the purpose hereinafter mentioned.

This partof the lever justmentioned is pref-' erably located above thepivotal point of the lever within the block rigid with the switch shaft.

A suitable latch is provided to hold the switch operating handle inlocked position in the notch in the switch stand and any suitablelocking mechanism is provided for the latch. The preferred form of latchis that shown in Fig. 2 wherein the latch 19, is located above the upperend of the switch operating lever or handle and is pivoted at one end atp in the block before mentioned and is provided with the notch orshoulder q, adapted to drop down in front of and engage the stop '11, ofthe switch operating handle, so as to prevent said handle being swung upand to lock the handle in the notch of the switch stand. Thislatch'extends beyond the upper end of the lever above or into the pathof a suitable lock or raising mechanism 25. This latch is so pivoted asto swing vertically from the upper end of said handle so as to permitthe handle to be swung up out ofthe notch of the switch stand so thatthe switch can be thrown. WVhen the latch is swung up so that its stopor shoulder q disengages the shoulder n, of the handle the latch glideson the curved end of the lever so that when the lever or handle isdropped the shoulder of the latch will automatically drop down in frontof the shoulder of the switch operating handle and will thusautomatically lock the handle in position. This latch is free to riseand fall under the action of gravity or spring q, and its normalposition is down on the lever.

Any suitable raising mechanism or means can be employed to raise thelatch from the handle or lever of the switch. The mechanism here shownconsists of the vertically movable block t, confined in a suitablecasing in the outer end of the arm or block 71.. The free or outer endof the latch 19 extends into a recess 3, or above the upper end of thisblock so that when the block is in its normal low est position the latchwill be in its normal position locking the handle, and when the block israised the latch will also be raised to release the handle. This blockis normally held in its normal position by means of a spring catch to,adapted to engage a keeper v, in the bottom of the casing for thesliding block. This catch can be if desired operated by the spring 10.The outer end of the arm h, or the casing for the sliding block isprovided with a suitable key hole a and the sliding block is alsoprovided with a recess or opening to receive the key, and the springcatch u is so located and arranged, and the opening in the block toreceive the key is so arranged that when the key is fitted in the keyhole and is turned the tongue of the key will engage said spring catchand will release the same from its keeper and will at the same timeraise the sliding block and release the latch. hen the key has beenremoved from this lifting mechanism or look after the latch has beenraised to release the lever the slide block will automatically drop toits normal position and the catch will engage its keeper and therebylock the block in lowered position, and when the switch handle has beendropped it also drops to its normal position between the lugs or in thenotch of the switch stand and the latch drops down and automaticallylocks the lever or handle.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction of liftingmechanism or look for the latch, nor do I wish to limit myself to anyparticular construction of latch, and it is evi dent that variouschanges might be made in the forms, constructions and arrangements ofthe parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention. Hence 499,4 gse I do not wish to limit myself to the exactconstruction here shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination of a switch stand, a switch shaft having a lateralarm, the swinging operating handle carried by said arm and adapted tolock the arm against movement when dropped to engage the switch stand, avertically movable latch to engage and hold said handle in droppedposition, said latch being pivoted in said lateral arm above saidoperating handle, and extending outwardly beyond the same and mechanismsubstantially as described, movably located in the outer end of saidlateral arm in operative relation to the extended end of said latch soas when operated by a key to raise the latch to release said handle sothat the arm and shaft can be operated, substantially as described.

2. A switch lock comprising the lateral arm rigid with the shaft, thehandle pivoted in said arm and adapted to engage the switch stand, avertically movable latch adapted to hold said handle in lowered positionand in engagement with the switch stand, and a sliding key operatedblock arranged to raise said latch from the handle, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of the switch stand, a switch shaft, a lateral armrigid with the switch shaft, the swinging handle pivoted in said arm andarranged to engage the switch stand when lowered to lock the shaft andarm, a vertically movable latch in said arm having a shoulder to engagethe upper end of said handle and lock the handle in lowered position,said latch having an extended end, and a vertically movable switchoperating block in engagement with said end, and adapted to raise thelatch from said handle so that the handle can be raised from the switchstand substantially as described.

4:. In a switch lock, the latch raising mechanism consisting of asliding block in a casing provided with the spring catch arranged toengage a keeper in the casing, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signatureinpresence of two witnesses.

FRANK P. I-IILBURN.

Witnesses:

W. R. LENCE, G. D. ALEXANDER.

